Burroughs Adding Machine

Keith Olbermann is unrepentant in his political views. Whether you agree with him or not, he supports his bold statements with evidence and reason. About the divisiveness of McCain’s campaign: the McCain staff is “taking a crack in a dam” and “burrowing into it.”

This video of McCain-Palin supporters at a rally in Strongstown, Ohio, highlights the “mob rule” that Olbermann refers to.

Okay, it might be argued that Senator McCain and Governor Palin can not be held responsible for the erroneous, small-minded views of their supporters. But they are certainly capable–and responsible–for their own spokespeople, television ads, and stump speeches.

Examples of the divisive McCain campaign:

1. Nancy Pfotenhauer, a McCain Senior Policy Advisor: Let’s discuss the “real Virginia”–not the fake Northern Virginia in which those darn democrats from D.C. reside. The “real Virginia” is “more Southern in nature.”
2. McCain TV ad: Obama is “too risky for America.” Message: Obama is a terrorist and hides the truth, because of his relationship with Bill Ayers.
3. Gov. Sarah Palin herself speaks about the “real America”: It’s wonderful to visit “the small little towns..the wonderful little pockets of what I call the real America” who are “very patriotic, very pro America areas”

As Olbermann puts it, the McCain campaign has created an “us and them, the pro and the anti” areas and citizens of the United States of America. Personally, I hope that I’m not reduced to choosing an “either-or” model of national identity.

Do you belong to the real or fake America?

The inimitable Jon Stewart did a great mockumentary about the real and the fake America.